The Pain Shared Between Brothers
by Edward-Elric-HaganeNo
Summary: Ch.1: Time seemed to just disappear while he was in his daze,until a voice,breaking the silence,called something he’d longed to hear for so long.“Nii…San?” Edward snapped back to reality immediately, he hadn’t heard that voice or that name,in so long...
1. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa.**

**_Pain Shared Between Brothers._**

_**-Chapter One- Reunion

* * *

**_

The wind picked up with a soft whistle and blew across fields, roads, and hills seemingly on a set course. It weaved around houses, rustled through trees, and finally arrived at its mark; swirling around a silhouette standing in front of a grave stone. The wind played with the visitors clothes, and swirled around a ponytail of golden locks.

The visitor was a young boy, perhaps around 17 or 18, though he seemed a little smaller than the average 18 year old. The boy was wearing rather odd looking clothing; a white shirt with a tall collar, a dark brown-green vest, very dark brown pants and shoes, a rather off seasoned trench coat, and white gloves. He cast a nostalgic look upon the area as his golden eyes scanned his surroundings; disbelief seemed evident in his expression. _Am I…Really home? Is this another dream..? _The boy's head was swimming with thoughts as his eyes fell upon the grave before him. His gaze stayed on the name engraved in the stone; the golden eyes grew a little cloudy and distant. _Mom…. _

Time seemed to just disappear while he was in his daze, until a voice, breaking the silence, called something he'd longed to hear for so long. "Nii…San?" Edward snapped back to reality immediately, he hadn't heard that voice or that name, in so long; TOO long. "Nii-san...is…that you?" Edward turned around slowly; he knew that voice better than the back of his own hand. It belonged to a Golden-Brown haired boy standing a little ways behind Ed, staring at him with wide eyes. A single word escaped Ed's lips, but that one word said more than he could have said in a whole years worth of stories, "Alphonse…"

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_A/N: Short Chapter I know but I want to keep you interested D! This is a fan fic based on a RP between me and my Alphonse, but we didn't really have a real START to it so this is how I decided it was going to start. :P Reviews so far? Like it? Hate it? Want more?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa.  
Nii-san is Japanese for Brother it was used in the first chapter but I wont use it here**

_**Pain Shared Between Brothers.**_

_**-Chapter Two- Welcome Home  
**_

"Alphonse…". Another breeze picked up as the two boys stared at each other in silence, each trying to decide if this was real or not. Their eyes met, and Edward noticed tears welling up in his brothers eyes and he felt somewhat guilty for thinking of Alphonse wanting to cry but could not because of the armor that served as a body to him only 3 years ago. "Brother...is that...really you?" The younger Elric said in a hopefull tone while taking a step closer to Edward, who let a smile spread onto his face as he replied with a simple not of the head. The next three seconds played out for what seemed like 3 hours, Alphonse threw himself at his older brother and sobbed tears of joy into Edwards chest. Edward couldn't decide whether to feel upset for making his little brother cry, or to cry with him. Soon Edward wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him back, closing his eyes to stop the tears threatening to spill

"It's alright now Al...I'm back...".  
- - - - - - - - - - - -  
Winry was working on Dens limbs when she saw Al walk through the door, and noticed right away he had been crying again. "Al..whats wrong why are you crying?" Al gave Winry a wide grin to which Winry raised her eyebrow.

"Winry, come outside with me a minute?" Al asked a very baffled Winry.

"Uh...I'm working right now Al, in a minute okay?"

"Take a break then." Al said.

"You know I can't take a break in the middle of maitenance Al." Winry pointed out, yet Alphonse shook his head and looked her in the eye.

"You will want to take a break for this Winry, theres someone outside who wants to see you." Curious about the mystery person Winry stood up, patted Den on the head, and headed to the door with Al bouncing by her side.

"Now what are you so giddy about Al.? Did something good happ..." Winry trailed off as she turned to see Edward standing just a few feet away from her. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened.

"Hey Winry...Sorry I didn't call first..." Edward realized how stupid his comment must've sounded and pointed it out rather rudely to himself mentally.

"Ed..." A smile came to Winry's lips as she stepped towards Ed.

"You're really back...",

"Yeah...I'm back" Ed answered, expecting this to be a calm moment. Only to be proven wrong as a large metal object made contact with his head painfully. "OW!" Edward exclaimed as his head flew back from the force.

"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE WERE! EVERYONE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Edward was immediatelly angered by the sudden, and unnecessary, blow to his head.

"WELL I'M SORRY I WORRIED YOU! BUT MAYBE THEY HAVE REASON TO THINK I WOULD BE DEAD SEEING AS YOU NEARLY KILLED ME!" Alphonse squeeked and stayed out of the way of this fight, it was one that he didn't want to get involved in; Winry's wrath was not to be messed with when a Wrench is involved.

"WELL SORRY IF I'M A LITTLE MAD! YOU NEVER TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO ANYWAY THEN YOU JUST UP AN DISAPPEAR! WHAT WAS I TO THINK!" and so the battle raged on for only a few more moments, before Winry flung her arms around Ed and welcomed him home with tear filled eyes.

"...Yeah...Home sweet home..." Edward said with a smile as he looked over at his brother.  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
By the time lunch rolled around Edward had done alot of thinking about Al's memory block and figured that they could be stuck either at the gate, or in Munich somewhere. He hoped it wasn't that, for that could mean someone was walking around with his brothers memory's in their head. Edward was snapped out of his state of thought by Al waving a hand in his face

"Earth to Ed.!"

"huh? What?" Ed blinked a few times, utterly confused.

Al laughed a bit and said "I asked you if you were ready."

Edward blinked again "Ready? For what?" Al rolled his eyes

"For Lunch, I asked you a while ago before you went into your little world. We're going into town for lunch so get your coat on! I'm starved!" Ed laughed and stood

"okay okay." He said as he pulled on the long brown trenchcoat. As they headed out the door and down the road Ed became silent again, and took in the scenery around him. Winry turned to Al and leaned close to him

"You know alot of people think Ed is dead Al...?" she whispered glancing back at Edward; whom was oblivious to the fact they were talking about him.

"At some points...I thought he was too..." Al whispered back in a guilty tone.

"Al..." Winry empathised with Al, who suddenly changed the subject.

"I'm gonna get one of those quarter pounders!" A huge childish grin came to his face. To this Winry laughed

"I guess you're hungry!" Al nodded

"only a little" He replied jokingly. Edward was to busy looking around to pay much attention to the other two's convesation, he took in the look of the new, less rural Risembool around him.

_Everythings so different, but still similar...Different than Munich. _

Al turned to Ed assuming he had been listening to the conversation and grinned

"You shoulda seen me eat Teacher out of house and home!" he laughed, as Winry interjected

"You nearly did the same for US Al!". As they turned the corner Winry saw a short haired brunette with thick rimmed glasses walking by; her face hidden in the book she was reading.

"Hi Sheiska!" Winry smiled and waved to her friend. Sheiska looked up and smiled

"Hi Winry! They gave me a bit of a vacation.." She answered Winry's unasked question, then her eyes fell on Ed. "Who's your friend in the trenchcoat? a cousin?" She asked Winry pointing to Ed who had just turned to see Sheiska pointing at him. Winry smiled a bit awkwardly

"uh..not really Sheiska" Al just looked at Sheiska with an expression that clearly read 'ehhh...' as Sheiska began to walk away buried in her book once more.

_Sorta odd to see her after I was talking to Thomas Hughes only a week ago _Edward thought, as he noticed the book in her hand. "Still a book worm eh Sheiska?" Sheiska's head snapped up from her book as she turned to Ed with a look of Shock.

"wha!" to which Ed just put on his trademark smirk

"Hey Sheiska" he said.

"EDWARD!" Before Ed knew what was going on he was pushed to the ground by the force of Sheiska's enthusiastic hug. "THE ALIENS GAVE YOU BACK!" She said in a confident, and excited way. Al raised an eyebrow

"...Aliens?" both brothers asked at the same time.

"..you still have that theory?" Ed oggled, he was certain she'd be over that by now. Apparently Winry felt the same, as she responded

"After all you've seen Sheiska..." And trailed off as Sheiska looked to the side

"Well I didn't see anything to disprove that theory.." She muttered. All three of Sheiska's friends sighed and shook their heads.  
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_A/N: so end of chapter 2! I know long time to update right?Well I've been very busy and still am busy. GAH -goes off to do all her things that keep her busy- Hope you liked chapter two. REVIEW PLEASE 3! -scurries off like the busy bee she is- okay I made the format different I hope this makes it easier to read!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa.  
Nii-san is Japanese for Brother it was used in the first chapter but I wont use it here**

_**Pain Shared Between Brothers.**_

**_-Chapter Three- Old Times Are Back _**

They all stared at Sheiska with the same exhasperated expression on their face.

"Sheiska..You HAVE seen things to disprove that theory!" Winry said, putting her hand to her forhead.  
"No, I saw things to prove OTHER theories" Sheiska pointed out, putting her finger up. She had completely forgotten who she was sitting on.  
"Uh..Sheiska...Do you mind..?" Edward said from below the girl as his eyebrow twitched subtly. He didn't like being used as a chair, especially not for that long.  
"OH," Sheiska exclaimed in surprise as she pushed herself up from Edwards chest "I'm sorry!" Edward stood up and brushed himself off and straightened his trench coat out.  
Sheiska laughed awkwardly then leaned close to Edward, and hushed her voice to a whipser.

"Did they experiment on..." She was cut off by Alphonse

"SHEISKA!"

"There were NO Aliens. But its alright I guess, its good to know ONE person didn't think I died..." Al subtly jerked at the thought of his brother being dead for real. Though nobody noticed.

"I have to go call Leutenant Hawkeye about this!" Sheiska smiled ecstatically, itching to tell the world that Edward Elric had been given back by the Aliens. Edward got an uneasy feeling that it wouldn't go over too well.

"Oh great..." He muttered as Sheiska dashed off down the street to find a pay phone. The trio stared after her in silence until Ed spoke up once more.

"Its gonna become 'Stare-In-Awe-At-Edward Day isn't it...?" He joked around in a slightly bothered tone.

Winry laughed and smiled unsurely

"maybe.." She said. Al continued to stare down the street where the eccentric young brunette had just dashed down.  
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Sheiska finally found what she was looking for. At the end of the sidewalk was a pay phone booth. She dashed inside and wasted no time in calling up Leutenant Hawkeye.  
The phone Rang once.  
Twice.

"Hel.." Riza was cut off by a very winded Sheiska, who was practically screaming into the phone.

"EDWARD IS BACK!" Sheiska gripped the phone handle with both hands as she blurted out the important news. Leaving silence on the other line.  
"..." Riza stared at the phone and blinked. She was bewildered. "...What..?"

"EDWARD IS BACK AND HE'S IN RISEMBOOL!" Sheiska laughed slightly as she bounced around, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"..." Riza sighed and rubbed her temple "Sheiska...Edward Elric died in the line of duty, You and I both went to his funeral." Yet Sheiska did not hear a word, as she began rambling to herself.

"I think they were doing tissue samples...or maybe..." She lifted her chin up in thought.Riza sighed again, annoyed with this nonsense that was tying up the military lines.

"Sheiska..." her voice held impatience in its tone. "..I think you need to visit your doctor again. You're trying up the military lines with nonsense." Sheiska was shocked at that last comment.

"I don't tie up the lines if I don't have proof of something!" She defended herself.  
"You have done it countless times before Sheiska and I wont stand for it again. Please do us all a favor and go visit your doctor" Riza was about ready to hang up on Sheiska who was gesturing wildly as she spoke.  
"Look! You and Colonel Mustang have time off Come down to Risembool and see for yourself! He's HERE I tell you! I SAT on him!" She continued to gesture wildly, as people stared at her.

"Sheiska! Please ju..." Riza was cut off once again, which aggrivated her greatly.

"NO! I'm RIGHT and I know it! Just like I was right about the Fuhrer's Secretary!" Sheiska's nerves were running thin, just as the Leutenant's were.

"SHEISKA! That is Enough!" Riza said strongly and firmly. As luck would have it, Edward, Winry, and Alphonse came down the side walk. Sheiska leaned out of the phone booth with the phone still in her hand, and waved at Ed.

"Edward! Come over here quickly! The Leutenant thinks I'm nuts!" Sheiska then put her ear to the phone, "See you can talk to him your sel..." She realized, she had been hung up on. Staring at the phone in annoyance and shock she slammed it down and walked up to Edward waving her arms around wildly.

"WHY DID YOU TAKE SO LONG? NOW SHE THINKS I'M CRAZY!" Edward blinks and raised an eyebrow.  
"Well Ofcourse she does..Everyone thinks I'm dead." Sheiska turned and banged her head on the glass of the phone booth a few times.  
Al turned to Ed.

"I only met Colonel Mustang a few times, but he seems like an alright guy..." Edward blinked in surprise as Al continued. "He was your superior officer right Ed? Maybe you should give him a call to report back in, or tell him you resign...I mean you don't really need the libraries any more right?"

Edward was still hung up on the 'He's an alright guy' comment.

"He was a jerk.."

". . . Didn't seem that way to me" Alphonse responded

"Trust me, he was a jerk. A big, cocky, jerk. A morally bankrupt colonel with a god complex." Edward closed his eyes and nodded as he agreed with his own statement.

Al was perplexed.

"... he told me not to give up on you..." Ed opened his eyes. "He told me you always had a way of getting out of the worst situations...""are you sure we're talking about the SAME Colonel Mustang here?"

Edward blinked a few times. A shocked, and bewildered expression met his face.

Al began to describe him seeing as he wasn't sure if there were two or not. He didn't remember.

"Black hair, narrow eye, and a patch on one. It happened a year before he to Teacher's though...Leutenant Hawkeye said he was intensive care..."

Edward was speechless.

"Did he hit his head or something?". Al just blinked.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Riza stared at the phone a while before going back to her desk work. She muttered to herself

"Poor Sheiska...again with her dillusions" She shook her head and continued working as Roy walked into the room and placed paperwork on her desk. 110 seconds before deadline.

Riza nodded to him affirmatively

"Sir."

"It seems like you were having a heated discussion over the phone, something I should worry about?" Roy asked.

"Nothing Sir. It was just Sheiska again. She seemed very convinced this time around.." Though Riza didn't say what she seemed convinced about Roy figured it was different than her usual ramblings.

"Oh? Usually she just goes on and on about growth hormone in the water supply..." He smirked a bit.

"She was saying 'The aliens returned Edward' '' Riza said as if it was the most rediculous thing she ever heard. Roys smirk faded from his face and his gaze became very serious.

"...Did she..?" Riza nodded.

"She was completely convinced. Even though we know Edward died in the line of duty..." She looked up and realized, Roy wasn't listening to that at all.

"Where did she say he was?" Riza blinked.

"In Risembool, Sir." Something hit Riza. "Sir..You're not really thinking of going are you?" The smarmy smirk returned to Roys face.

"Well. It's been atleast two years since my last vacation. We should go to make sure Sheiska doesn't hurt herself." He looked Riza in the eye, a glint telling her of his ulterior motive. She sighed

"I'll fill out the paper work" Riza said.

Roy's smirk merely widened as he returned to his office.

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_A/N: Okay I hope this is easier to read for you guys! WOW Two chapters written in two days! You guys sure are lucky. Thank you all for your support. I really appreciate it. I wouldn't have anyone to write FOR if I didn't have fans of the story! Thank you SO much! I will continue to try and make it fun to read for you guys_


	4. Chapter 4

**WARNING: THERE MAY BE SOME CONQUEROR OF SHAMBALA SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER! READ WITH CAUTION! **

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa.  
Nii-san is Japanese for Brother it was used in the first chapter but I won't use it here

_**Pain Shared Between Brothers.**_

**_-Chapter Four- Unexpected Visit_**

Edward tried his best to calm the fuming brunette down, but it was to no avail.

"Look Sheiska just calm down. I mean what kind of reaction did you really _expect_?"

Edward had finally caught Sheiska's attention. She looked at him with a confused yet understanding gaze.

"I've been gone for a long time Sheiska; I wouldn't be surprised if people thought I was dead."

Edward didn't realize what he had said until the words were off his tongue.

_Dead…People must think I died...The colonel is still alive, I know that much at least. Fritz Langue was proof enough of that._

"Brother?"

Edward was brought out of his trance once again by his faithful companion.

"What is it Al?"

Edward turned his attention to his brother, though he already could tell Al was concerned of Ed's sudden silence.

"…Are you" The elder brother smiled and cut off Alphonse's question with a nod.

"Fine, just thinking."

Alphonse already knew his brother had been lost in thought, for he saw that distant look in Ed's golden eyes. It was what he was thinking about that concerned Al. Al used to always be able to have some glimmer of an idea about his brother's thoughts, but now he was never certain. Ed had been gone a long time, and he had experienced things without Al by his side for once, it also pained him to know his Brother remembered everything about their four years together while he remembered nothing.

"Al! Yo Al are ya in there?" Edward waved his hand in front of his little brothers face, who gave a jump of surprise in response.

"Now who's the spacey one?" Ed laughed, but soon trailed off when realizing his brother hadn't joined in.

"Sorry…"

Edward frowned and his gaze took on a concerned air. He knew that when Al got quiet and submissive, it usually meant something was bothering him.

"So…Why don't you have lunch with us? You haven't been in town for quite a while..." Alphonse turned his attention to Sheiska and cut Ed off before he could ask Al what was wrong.

Sheiska lifted her eyes in consideration of the request set before her.

"Yeah that sounds good. I read in a magazine that these burgers are the best for a couple of miles" She said matter-of-factly.

Edward smiled and shook his head subtly.

"You're still the same as ever." He said with a chuckle as the trio walked into the restaurant and up to the counter to order.

Alphonse had made his way to the front and already began making his order.

"Umm okay... Could I have…Three quarter pounders…Two Hugio sodas…aaand two large fries?" Alphonse turned around to face the others.

"What do you guys want?"

Edward gaped at his brother. Speechless.

"…What?" Alphonse blinked twice and raised an eyebrow at his brother's expression, which was as Ed's expressions always are, over the top.

"Uh…Noth…Nothing…" Edward tried to turn his attention to the list of meals on the wall, but he couldn't stop himself from glancing at his little brother from time to time. Edward finally decided on a small burger, he hadn't eaten at this place before and had decided from his experience in Munich you can't always trust every resturaunt.

Winry and Sheiska both ordered salads, staying away from the burgers at all costs.

"That _has _to clog your arteries" Sheiska commented while staring at Alphonse's huge burger.

As Al inhaled his meal, Edward was staring out the window at the town.

"What's wrong Edward?" Winry questioned his silence.

"Oh nothing…Its just everything is so much different…Less Rural" Sheiska looked up from her book when she heard that comment.

"Well, your fame did gain this town a lot of publicity" Edward turned his face away from the window.

"My fame..?" Edward had always known he had a reputation as the youngest state alchemist in the military, but he didn't know that the town had gotten a reputation as well.

"Ofcoure Edward, You're the People's Alchemist" Sheiska gestured with her fork. Edward merely smiled and took a sip of his drink.

"Mothers chide their children with "That's not what Edward Elric would do!'"

Edward sputtered on his beverage, sending some of the liquid sloshing out of the cup. He coughed a few times and wiped his mouth clean.

"Are you _serious?_" Edward was amazed, he never thought that he could be used in such a manner. He never saw himself as a hero, or even the best role model for his own brother. He had screwed up a lot, caused people pain and suffering because of his actions, and people had died by his hand. As Edward saw it, kids should be praised for not doing what he had done.

"After your military funeral was held, which so many people attended that the trains were booked for a few days, there were articles in the paper, in magazines…" Sheiska rested her fork on her lower lip and looked up at the ceiling in thought as she continued on.

"…Little stories about how they met you, or how you fixed a toy or a tool, or saved a girl from being stuck under a mining cart…" The list went on and on.

Alphonse swallowed a mouthful of fries and spoke up.

"and I got a lot of letters…and fruit…and some polishing stuff…Some of the fruit came from so far away the fruit was rotten by the time it got here."

When Edward heard the word Fruit he remembered Velcio and all those at Zenotime.

_I wonder how Zenotime is doing now…_

Edward began to space out when the conversation became so awkward for Alphonse that he just stopped talking and went back to eating. Edward stared up at the sky and wondered what the rest of the day would bring with it…and as the sun bore down on him through the windows, and as he squinted his eyes to be able to bear the brightness of it, he began to wonder if things would ever be normal again.

But what is normal anyway, for a boy with two metal limbs, and a brother who had been a bodiless suit of armor for four years of his life, four years that he has no recollection of…

_A/N: SOOO sorry this is sooooo late! I've been REALLY REALLY busy…..I mean now my own computer is DEAD so I'm using my sisters. This is all I'll be doing for a while so I promise I'll have a lot more updates! Soooooo what'd ya think of this chapter guys!_


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